Vayikra: Be All That You Can Be

I was sitting on the couch today, taking a small break from the Great Chometz War. Suddenly my soon-to-be two-year-old marches inside and disappears. A few minutes later, he’s marching out with his toy drill in hand, and gives some manly laugh as he goes back outside. It’s amazing how . . . boy . . . a boy can be.

“Every meal offering that you offer to the Almighty do not make it chometz; for you shall burn neither yeast, nor any honey, in any offering of the Almighty made by fire. With all your offerings you shall offer salt” (Vayikra 2:11-13).

There are three additives mentioned in this pasuk: yeast and honey, which were not allowed to be added to any of the offerings, and salt, which not only was allowed, but was also obligated.

Rav Mordecai Gifter relates that honey and yeast are external ingredients, which add taste to food that they are added to. Salt is different. It does not add its own taste, but rather, brings out the natural flavor of the food.

“When serving the Almighty, you should follow the model of salt. That is, utilize all the abilities and talents that you have to serve Him. Do not be like yeast that causes distortion of what is there. Do not be like honey that is very sweet but is something borrowed from the outside. Be yourself, but make every effort to be all that you can be.”

All individuals have their own sets of traits and talents. Instead of trying to be something that we aren’t, we should focus on our own unique attributes and bring them to the forefront in our relationship with Hashem.